City comparison
Dallas, TX vs Olympia, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Dallas, TX (103.1) and Olympia, WA (103.7, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Dallas, TX goes as far as $100,600 in Olympia, WA.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,648 a month in Dallas, TX and $1,682 in Olympia, WA.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in TX and $0 in WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +3.4% moving from Dallas, TX to Olympia, WA ($115,711 → $119,630), while prices change by +0.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.8% in real buying power.
- Dallas, TX: price level 103.1 (pricier)
- Olympia, WA: price level 103.7 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Dallas, TX | Olympia, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.1 | 103.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $100,563 in Olympia | $99,441 in Dallas |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,648/mo | $1,682/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,440 | $61,960 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK | Seattle-Tacoma, WA |
Rent areas: Dallas, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA MSA. Metro areas: Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX and Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Dallas | Olympia |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 117.9 | 116.7 |
| Goods | 102.8 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 90.7 | 91.7 |
| Other services | 99.7 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 103.1 | 103.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Dallas, TX → Olympia, WA
Roughly even
Buying power −0.6%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
66 Fair offer
Olympia, WA → Dallas, TX
Roughly even
Buying power +0.6%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
71 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Dallas, TX is in the Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK pay area; Olympia, WA is in Seattle-Tacoma, WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Dallas, TX to Olympia, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Dallas, TX | Olympia, WA | Real change, Dallas → Olympia |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $67,100 | $69,373 | +2.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $81,186 | $83,935 | +2.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $97,307 | $100,602 | +2.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $115,711 | $119,630 | +2.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $136,736 | $141,367 | +2.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Dallas, TX | Olympia, WA | Olympia pay in Dallas dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,070 | $104,650 | $104,065 (+59.9%) |
| Software Developers | $133,290 | $124,060 | $123,366 (−7.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,620 | $94,470 | $93,941 (+13.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,420 | $125,020 | $124,321 (+22.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.